Energy bills are soaring. From January, they’re expected to exceed £4,200 annually, which will make many of us unable to keep up with the payments without government intervention. As a result, the protest group Don’t Pay UK is advising a boycott of bills on October 1 to pressure companies to reduce bills to ‘affordable levels’.
But, like many others taking action against energy companies, radio presenter Prinny Rae has already taken things into her own hands: ‘Ummm so I put in an online complaint to my energy provider and today they are offering 50% off,’ she wrote on Twitter.
‘My energy bill increased by 566%,’ Prinny revealed to Grazia. ‘This came into effect a few months ago but given the rise in activism against energy companies and watching a video encouraging people to make complaints. [I] decided to [complain]."
Rather than including legal or financial jargon, Prinny said she wrote her complaint like she was just ‘texting a friend’ and complained ‘on ethical and financial impact grounds’. The company then offered to reduce her direct debit payment by 50% but, as this balance isn’t written off, she’s concerned about the increase in her payments later in the year.
‘By doing this they are reducing your expense in the short term but it will just accumulate in a large debit balancethat you will still owe…fight the complaint to the end,’ she warned, despite still encouraging others to do the same as her and take action against their providers.
‘It’s just not right!’ she continued. ‘In my complaint I mentioned I live alone and my usage has not materially changed so such an increase just seems unethical! [But] I would warn [others] to really understand the implications of taking a face value reduction on their direct debit.’
‘I’m still fighting for a fair and reasonable bill,’ she added. ‘Don’t have a plan just will continue with the complaint process and see where I get to.’
What happens if you don’t pay your energy bill?
Don’t Pay UK plans to get at least one million people to pledge not to pay their energy bills from October 1 if the proposal to hike the price cap by as much as £1,800 goes ahead.
Citizen’s Advice have warned there will be ‘serious’ consequences for people who don’t pay their bills. If you cancel your direct debit, this could incur a fee depending on who your supplier is, and if you build up outstanding payments, your energy company could move you onto a payment meter or, in severe cases, cut you off completely.
Additionally, refusing to pay your pills could damage your future credit rating, which will made it harder to take out loans, get a mortgage or even a credit card.
For advice on dealing with debt related to the cost of living crisis, visit the Citizen Advice help page or National Debtline.